Chrysanthemum plant named En Garde

ABSTRACT

A Chrysanthemum plant named En Garde characterized as to uniqueness by the combined characteristics of flat capitulum form, decorative capitulum type, red-purple ray floret color, diameter across face of capitulum ranging from 9 to 10 cm. at maturity, uniform eight week flowering response, medium plant height, semi-spreading branching pattern, and tolerance of both low winter 13° C. minimum and high summer 24° C. night to 38° C. day temperatures for bud initiation and flower development.

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum morifolium, Ramat., named En Garde.

En Garde is a product of a planned breeding program which had theobjective of creating new Chrysanthemum cultivars for pinched, disbudpot mum programs having decorative capitulum type, purple floret color,eight week flowering response and the ability to produce commerciallyacceptable quality in year round programs. Such traits in combinationwere not present or required improvement in previously availablecommercial cultivars.

En Garde was originated from a cross made in a controlled breedingprogram in Salinas, Calif. in 1979. The female parent was identified as75237002 and known as Tempo. Tempo is disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No.4,505 and was originated by the present inventor. The male parent of EnGarde was identified as 78826009, an unnamed lavender decorativeseedling originated from a cross between an unnamed seedling and Circus,disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 4,188.

En Garde was discovered and selected as one flowering plant within theprogeny of the stated cross by William E. Duffett on June 16, 1980 in acontrolled environment in Salinas, Calif.

The first act of asexual reproduction of En Garde was accomplished whenvegetative cuttings were taken from the initial selection in October,1980 in a controlled environment in Salinas, Calif. by a technicianworking under formulations established and supervised by William E.Duffett.

Horticultural examination of selected units initiated July 15, 1981 hasdemonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosedfor En Garde are firmly fixed and are retained through successivegenerations of asexual reproduction.

En Garde has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations inenvironment such as temperature, light intensity and day length. Theobservations, measurements and comparisons describe plants grown inSalinas, Calif. and Leamington, Ontario, Canada under greenhouseconditions which approximate those generally used in commercialpractice.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe basic characteristics of En Garde which in combination distinguishthis Chrysanthemum as a new and distinct cultivar.

1. Flat capitulum form.

2. Decorative capitulum type.

3. Red-purple ray floret color.

4. Diameter across face of capitulum ranging from 9 to 10 cm. atmaturity.

5. Uniform eight week photoperiodic flowering response to short days.

6. Medium plant height (requiring 2 long day weeks prior to pinch andshort days, and 1 to 2 applications of 2500 ppm B-9 SP, the first at 14,the second at 21 days after the beginning of short days to attain aflowered plant height of 25 to 35 cm. in 6" pots).

7. Semi-spreading branching pattern.

8. Tolerance of low winter 13° C. minimum temperatures.

9. Tolerance of high summer 24° C. night and 38° C. day temperatures.

The accompanying photographic drawings depict typical leaf andinflorescence characteristics of En Garde.

Sheet 1 is a color photograph of a plant of En Garde grown as a pinched,disbudded pot mum, with colors being as accurate as possible withrenditions of this type.

Sheet 2 is a black and white photograph of three views of theinflorescence of En Garde.

Sheet 3 shows the upper and under surfaces of leaves of En Garde inthree stages of growth (mature, intermediate, immature).

Of the many commercial cultivars known to the present inventor, the mostsimilar in comparison to En Garde in Tempo, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat.No. 4,505. Reference is made to attached Chart A which compares certaincharacteristics of En Garde to those same characteristics of Tempo.Traits similar in both cultivars are the capitulum type, form, color andbranching pattern. En Garde has a shorter response time, a smallercapitulum diameter, a shorter plant height, and its tolerance of highand low temperatures results in a longer period of flowering value.

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart. The color values were determinedbetween 11:00 A.M. and 11:15 A.M. on Mar. 6, 1984 under 380 foot-candlelight intensity at Salinas, Calif.

Classification:

Botanical.--Chrysanthemum morifolium, Ramat., cv En Garde.

Commercial.--Decorative disbud pot mum.

I. INFLORESCENCE

A. Capitulum:

Form.--Flat.

Type.--Decorative.

Diameter across face.--9 to 10 cm.

B. Corolla or ray florets:

Color (general tonality from a distance of three meters).--Red-purple.

Color (upper surface).--78B-78C.

Color (under surface).--78D.

Shape.--Oblong. Rounded tip.

C. Corolla of disc florets:

Color (mature).--2B.

Color (immature).--154A.

D. Reproductive organs:

Androecium.--Present disc florets only; scant pollen.

Gynoecium.--Present both ray and disc florets.

II. PLANT

A. General appearance:

Height.--Medium.

Branching pattern.--Semi-spreading.

B. Foliage:

Color (upper surface).--147A.

Color (under surface).--147C.

Shape.--Narrow, shallow lobes. Blunt with minimum serration.

                  CHART A                                                         ______________________________________                                        COMPARISON OF EN GARDE AND TEMPO                                              ______________________________________                                                 RAY        CAPITULUM                                                          FLORET     FORM AND     BRANCHING                                    CULTIVAR COLOR      TYPE         PATTERN                                      ______________________________________                                        EN GARDE RED-       FLAT         SEMI-                                                 PURPLE     DECORATIVE   SPREADING                                    TEMPO    DARK       FLAT         SEMI-                                                 LAVEN-     DECORATIVE   SPREADING                                             DER                                                                  ______________________________________                                               DIAMETER                                                                      ACROSS               FLOWER- TEMPER-                                          FACE OF              ING RE- ATURE                                     CUL-   CAPI-      PLANT     SPONSE  TOLER                                     TIVAR  TULUM      HEIGHT    PERIOD  ANCE                                      ______________________________________                                        EN      9 to      MEDIUM    EIGHT   LOW -                                     GARDE  10 cm.               WEEKS   13° C.                                                                 MINIMUM                                                                       HIGH -                                                                        24° C.                                                                 NIGHT to                                                                      38° C. DAY                         TEMPO  11 to      TALL      EIGHT   LOW - 16° C.                              13 cm.               TO NINE HIGH -                                                                WEEKS   SLOWS TO                                                                      ELEVEN                                                                        WEEKS                                     ______________________________________                                        COMPARISONS MADE OF PLANTS GROWN AS                                           PINCHED DISBUDDED POT MUMS                                                    IN SALINAS, CALIFORNIA AND                                                    LEAMINGTON, ONTARIO, CANADA                                                   ______________________________________                                    

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum morifolium,Ramat., plant named En Garde, as described and illustrated, andparticularly characterized as to uniqueness by the combinedcharacteristics of flat capitulum form; decorative capitulum type;red-purple ray floret color; diameter across face of capitulum rangingfrom 9 to 10 cm. at maturity; uniform eight week flowering response;medium plant height; semi-spreading branching pattern; and tolerance ofboth low winter 13° C. minimum and high summer 24° C. night to 38° C.temperatures for bud initiation and flower development.